Category: Appetizers

So, I’ve been hungry for meatball subs. They’re so simple to make, but we just never seem to do it at home. I shared the photo on social media, because I’m weird like that and it annoys people, and some people seemed to dig it. wanted to share how easy it was with a minimal amount of effort.

So, the wife got a pound of ground meat from Aldi the other day, and I picked up the rest of the stuff that we didn’t already have at Giant Eagle on my way home from work. I probably could have gotten all of this from Aldi.

So this is what I used…

1 lb. of ground beef

a handful or two of finely shredded fancy 6 cheese “Italian” stuff – I started with a 2 cup bag. We always have this or something similar around.

I was hungry for meatloaf, so the other day I asked my wife to pick up some ground meat and croutons at the store, and last night I decided I was in the mood to cook.

Every time I make meatloaf, I think of my mom & grandma telling me how my grandpap used to make it with hard boiled eggs in the middle. I always thought that would be fun to try… but something pushed me into finally doing it. A look at Wikipedia seems to indicate that the eggs-in-the-middle is a Hungarian, Phillipino, Bulgarian or Czech thing… Thanks for the help, Wikipedia. As far as I know, that side of the family is mostly German & Irish… so who knows where it came from? Not like people couldn’t come up with this stuff independantly… but I like to read useless information.

the diced tomatoes with jalapeño or chili peppers, and even plain old navy or black beans. Sometimes I dump some of the liquid of the cans out. I like thick soup.

I’ve used ground beef & ground turkey… both work really well. I’m sure a vegetarian version of this would be easy to make. (Hormel makes a vegetarian chili, you can get vegetarian vegetable soup from Campbell’s, & the ground tofu, seitan, or tempeh would work well… or you could just add more beans or vegetables.)

I just put it into the crock pot on low all day. Dinner’s ready when you get home!

I like to have it with homemade bread, or over biscuits like a pot pie. If you’re camping and have a mountain pie iron or if you have en electric sandwich maker that seals the edges you can add some flour to thicken it up or strain it a little to make incredible filling.

I also like the tiny saltine crackers.

A any rate, we make some & it lasts a while… as a main dish, or a side with sandwiches. It freezes & re-heats easily.

I don’t make it like this. I may use grilled chicken breasts cut up & canned broth, but it’s all about the same. Right?

This one is good for potlucks, covered dish dinners, or picnics. Works well with egg noodles, or any of those Amish looking packaged noodles. Don’t be stingy on the butter. This isn’t health food. Carrots or celery added in may make it a bit more like chicken noodle soup without the broth. The broth is only to keep the noodles barely wet and the chicken from drying out. I may mix some spices in with the breadcrumbs too. Maybe poultry seasoning?

Slow-Fried French Fries
There are certain foods that are better when not made at home, like french fries. To achieve golden-brown perfection, you have to fry them twice: first at a low temperature, to poach them; then at a high heat, to crisp them up. Very tasty, very much a pain in the neck. A few years back, I read about how French chef Joel Robuchon supposedly does it at his house: He puts sliced potatoes in a pot of cold oil, turns on the heat, and lets them go. It sounds too simple to work. But as the temperature rises, the potatoes cook from the outer layer in until the fries are wonderfully crunchy outside and creamy in the center. You’ll never make fries any other way-even if you’ve never made them before.

Transfer potatoes to a large deep heavy pot, spreading potatoes so they’re no more than 2 layers deep. Pour in safflower or vegetable oil to cover potatoes by 1″. Place pot over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes (oil will begin bubbling gently). Continue cooking, occasionally loosening potatoes from the bottom of the pot with a heatproof spatula, until potatoes are very tender, 25-30 minutes more. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes longer (oil will bubble more vigorously).

Using a slotted spoon, transfer fries to paper towels to drain. Season with coarse sea salt.

Beer for Dinner: German beer cheese

Excited by the prospect of spreading “beer cheese” on various snacks? You should be. This recipe from page three of the book “Cooking with Yuengling Beer” is simple to make (that’s one point in favor of this recipe), tastes great (that’s another point), and it makes you look like a beer-recipe genius when you unveil it at a party (more points). As for what you decide to spread it on, that’s up to you. If anyone has any ideas, leave a comment.

GERMAN BEER CHEESE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 lb. Swiss cheese, shredded

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 clove garlic, mashed

1/2 cup Yuengling Lager (approximately)

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients except beer. Add enough beer to make a mixture of spreading consistency. Place mixture into a three-cup mold and pack firmly. Chill and unmold at room temperature.